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Vegetable Gardening

Question on hilling potatoes (in containers)

15 years ago

I have potatoes planted in several large containers. This is my first year experimenting with potatoes.

From what I have been reading online, I am supposed to hill soil around the potatoes once the plants reach 6 inches high, leaving about 2 inches exposed.

The problem is, I have plants of varying heights in the same container... ranging from about 1" to 5".

Do I add my first layer of soil when the tallest plants reach 6"? Or do I wait for ALL the plants to reach a minimum of 6"? If I were to cover the shorter plants completely with soil, would they survive and continue growing towards the surface?

Since these plants are in containers together, it doesn't seem possible to hill soil ONLY around the taller plants. I think it needs to be all or nothing.

Please advise!

Featured Answer

fujiapple
Original Author

15 years ago

Thank you for the feedback so far. But back to my original question (and to clarify a few things):

1. My potatoes are planted in containers by themselves. I have several large round buckets and bins... I'd say they are about 2 feet deep and 2 feet across. There are ONLY potatoes in each pot, but since I cut up the seed potatoes I have several potato plants per pot. Hope that makes sense.

2. Of these multiple plants in a single container, they vary in height from 1 inch to 5 inches. Since the guideline is to hill soil around the potatoes once they reach 6" tall, some of these plants are almost ready for hilling.

THE PROBLEM: There are much shorter plants very close to the taller plants. Making it impossible to hill soil around the taller plants without covering the small ones.

My question: Will I harm the smaller plants if they get covered up completely? Will they continue to grow?

Still looking for feedback to my question...thanks!

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Comments (6)

sandie329
15 years ago
Well it all depends on what else your growing in the container with the potatoes.
The potatoes themselves grow from the stems of the plant, not the tuber. So as the stems grow, you add more soil or straw to cover the plant, but leaving two inches above the soil line. You'll do this 2-3 times, I believe.
Can you plant the potatoes at the corner or sides of the planter away from the other plants? If your growing tomatoes it's not such a big deal because the hairs on the stems will root and make your tomato plant stronger. Not sure about peppers, a lot of other stuff will be iffy.
Hope this helps.
dan_2007
15 years ago
This may not help as it sounds you have already planted your potatoes but you can half fill the pot with soil and then plant your potatoes. Then when they grow just fill the pot up to replicate hilling. You could presumably stuff straw around the top of the pot and that should work better them mounding soil over the top of the pot.

Timing the hilling is not very important so you could wait until they have all grown at least 6". Hilling mainly just supports the plants and shades the tubers so they don't turn green. Unless you are growing long season potatoes hilling will not increase your yield. I follow a blog that grows potatoes in bins, here is the link as it might be of interest to you: http://ft2garden.powweb.com/sinfonian/?page_id=12
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dutchess_9
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They will come through if it is only a few inches...I had to cover mine with 3-4 inches when we had a freeze coming to protect them. I did not uncover them and all of them popped back up.

Here is a link that might be useful: How my garden grows!
digdirt2
15 years ago
Sure, go ahead and hill the tall ones. The others will grow right up through as much as 6" - had to play catch-up with mine today. ;)

Another alternative is to hill them with straw if you can get it.

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Debbie W
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I have lawn moss from more than a year ago i raked out and dried. Since i dont use weed n feed on my lawn do you think potatoes would mind using it for hilling?

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